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May 2004 Hotlines |
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May 2004 Hotlines |
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Screening of railroad passengers for explosives, to be conducted by the Transportation Security Administration for 30 days, began May 4 at New Carrollton, Md. The station is served by Metro, Amtrak, and MARC -- the last two on the same platform -- but Metro is not part of the test. The screening consists of standing in a gate-like detector for 12 seconds while a puff of air blows possible traces of explosives onto detectors. Passengers are not screened for metallic objects, meaning there is no need to empty pockets or remove shoes. Additionally, bags are place on a conveyor belt to go through an X-ray machine.
The screening takes place between 5:00 am and 10:00 am weekdays; and 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm weekdays and Sundays. If passengers back up -- as happened the first day, according to the Washington Post -- passengers are allowed through without screening so they can catch their trains. The main point of the screenings, at this point, is to test the capabilities of the equipment.
The House Railroads Subcommittee, chaired by Jack Quinn (R.-N.Y.), held a hearing May 5 on rail security. Rep. Steven Lynch (D.-Mass.) -- who is not a committee member but participated in the hearing -- noted that he held a seminar in Boston last week on rail security, and noted that while the Transportation Security Administration has "a federal director of security in every airport," there is no such equivalent rail security director for the Northeast. Indeed, Chet Lunner, TSA's Assistant Administrator for the Office of Maritime and Land Security testified that his division as yet has no personnel outside Washington. Lynch said that $11 billion had been spent by the federal government on aviation security, but $115 million on rail security. Federal Railroad Administrator Allan Rutter noted that "security is not our only purpose" and that "we need a balance between security and economic liberty."
Fifty-five business, tourism, and trade groups from the Northeast formally announced the creation of an Amtrak Business Coalition, at a news conference at Washington Union Station on May 5. The groups are in every Northeastern state down through Virginia. Among the group's stated goals are -- "To preserve and improve the Amtrak passenger rail services that make communities along the Northeast Corridor a better place to live, work, and do business ... To ensure the importance of a successful Amtrak system to competitive business climates and thriving regional economies ... To ensure that federal funding for rail improvements is available as a viable and cost-effective part of the solution to transportation congestion."
John Porcari of the Greater Washington Board of Trade (and former Maryland Transportation Secretary) said, "We're here for the long-haul to get stable and adequate funding for Amtrak." James Brett, President of the New England Council, said, "The strength of our regional economies depends heavily upon a strong transportation network." Amtrak President David Gunn said, "This support is very, very encouraging ... We desperately need an infusion of capital ... Time is running out. We don't have the luxury of stopping to debate the future of the Northeast Corridor."
House Democrats are still collecting signatures on their pro-Amtrak letter to the appropriations leaders. Offices that want to sign should contact Frank Mulvey, Minority Staff Director, Subcommittee on Railroads. The Republican letter is expected to be sent today.
The Senate Banking Committee yesterday approved a bill (as yet unnumbered) relating to security on public transit systems. Among other things, it authorizes $5.2 billion for transit security starting in 2005. Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D.-Md.), who is the committee's ranking Democrat, told the Amtrak Business Council group on May 5 (see above) that he hopes to merge the new transit security bill with the rail security bill (S.2273) approved by the Commerce Committee on April 8 and that he hopes the combined bill will get early Senate approval.
Amtrak will begin renovating the first-class lounge in Chicago Union Station around June 15. During that time, the area will have to be vacated, so a temporary facility is being planned just off the Great Hall (the former main waiting room).
Boston-Chicago through-cars on the Lake Shore Limited resume with today's westbound train (and tomorrow's eastbound train).
Amtrak is expanding the number of trains on which space in Superliner transition-dorm sleepers will be sold to the public (as was planned when many of the cars were designed and built). Such sales (indicated by room numbers 17-24) are now allowed on the Texas Eagle and City of New Orleans, and this practice will spread during the summer to the California Zephyr and Capitol Limited.
A proposal for a new rail tunnel between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn now has the support of New York Gov. George Pataki (R.), who addressed the topic on May 5. The new service would be a hybrid of existing services, offering a one-seat ride from Kennedy Airport to Lower Manhattan. As proposed, it would use the AirTrain line from Kennedy to Jamaica, then a new connection to existing Long Island Rail Road tracks to Brooklyn, then the new tunnel. The tunnel would cost $6 billion and could open in 2013. The Straphangers Campaign questioned whether there would be enough ridership to justify the cost, compared to other pending proposals.
A new parking garage opened May 3 at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. The nine-story structure has over 1,500 spaces, bringing the total for the station to 2,100.
The speed restriction on Amtrak trains imposed by Canadian National on former Grand Trunk Western routes has been modified to apply only to the Blue Water route (Battle-Creek-Port Huron). The Wolverine trains, Cardinal, and Hoosier State no longer are affected.
CSX is preparing to lease a major part of the Cardinal's route to a short-line operator, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch (May 5). Operation and maintenance of a 192-mile segment from Richmond west to Charlottesville and Clifton Forge -- plus the eight-mile Orange-Gordonsville segment -- would be taken over by the Buckingham Branch Railroad, which currently operates a 17-mile branch line west of Richmond. The Cardinal runs on the 124 miles between Orange and Clifton Forge. CSX would retain some trackage rights.
It's unclear what, if anything, the lease means for the Amtrak service. In spring 2000, the Federal Railroad Administration cited CSX for track problems on several parts of its network. That included the Orange-Clifton Forge segment, where the Cardinal was put under a 40-mph slow order (down from 60 mph) the entire way. The Times-Dispatch article said that the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes said parts of the line are in "terrible shape" now, and also quoted a Virginia rail official saying that the state does not "intend to do major maintenance" on the line.
Metro Transit announced it would open the first Hiawatha light-rail segment, from downtown Minneapolis to Fort Snelling, on June 26.
The proposed Northstar commuter-rail service was not included in the final version of a capital improvements bill passed by the Minnesota House on April 29. Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R.) has requested $37.5 million toward start-up of a 40-mile Minneapolis-Big Lake service. The Senate has not yet passed a bill of its own, and it is thought to favor a larger overall package than that passed by the House.
The Michigan House Appropriations Committee approved a House version of the supplemental appropriations bill yesterday that does not include harmful language that limits Amtrak's ability to set fares. Such language, promoted by a state-subsidized bus operator, was in the Senate counterpart bill, SB 267, when it was approved March 31. Michigan residents should urge both their House and Senate members know you support the House version of SB 267 (without the anti-Amtrak language) and that you want the House version to be adopted in a final House-Senate conference process.
A resolution (HJR-1010) calling on the Colorado DOT to create a plan (with existing data) for Pueblo-Denver-Fort Collins passenger-rail service passed that state's House on May 4 and Senate on May 5. The resolution is not law, but serves as endorsement of the concept on the part of the legislature.
The "Safe Transit and Rail Awareness and Investments for National Security Act of 2004" (H.R.4361) was introduced yesterday by 22 House Democrats, led by Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.). The bill authorizes $2.8 billion in fiscal 2005-2007 for security improvements in all forms of surface public transportation, including passenger rail. H.R.4361 has been referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In the Senate, S.2273 was approved on April 8 by the Commerce Committee, authorizing nearly $1 billion for improving passenger and freight rail security; additionally, the Senate Banking Committee approved a bill on May 6 authorizing $5.2 billion for transit security.
Rep. Jack Quinn's letter to House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ernest Istook in support of Amtrak's $1.8 billion funding request for 2005 was sent today. A total of 21 House Republicans signed it.
Now is the time to push the counterpart Democratic letter initiated by Rep. James Oberstar (D.-Minn.), ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The goal this year is to get 200 Democrats to sign. Any Member who wants to sign should have his or her staff contact Frank Mulvey, Minority Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Railroads.
On the highway/transit reauthorization, formal negotiations among Congressional Republican leaders and the White House ended last week. The White House reportedly has retreated from its earlier willingness to go slightly above the $256 billion in Bush's budget, which most legislators consider too low. One view gaining currency is that failure to reach agreement by June 30 will result in passage of a 12-month extension (rather than another short-term one), kicking the issue to the next Congress and Administration.
The bill figured in the lead story in yesterday’s The Hill newspaper, headlined, "[House Speaker] Hastert rips White House; Caucus applauds as Speaker voices his frustrations." The Republican caucus reportedly burst into applause at a House GOP meeting last week when Hastert criticized the Bush Administration. One lawmaker said Hastert "expressed outright dismay with the White House staff for the way the transportation bill had been handled. They did not give the priority necessary to the issue in resolving it as the Speaker had wanted. It's in absolute limbo." Another lawmaker said Hastert felt "he had not been dealt with openly and fairly and given accurate information."
The Michigan House passed its own version of SB267, the supplemental appropriations bill, on May 11, without the anti-Amtrak language that is present in the Senate version. Now the bill goes to conference.
There will be live bluegrass music this weekend on certain Texas Eagle trips between Longview and Austin, Tex. The Buzzard Run Bluegrass Band from Poplar Bluff, Mo., performed southbound today and will perform northbound on May 16, in the lounge car. The performances are sponsored by the Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization.
The Texas Eagle will have expanded dining car hours effective June 1 southbound (June 3 northbound). Crews that now turn at Fort Worth will instead go as far as Austin before turning back. That will allow for another (early) dinner period southbound and another lunch period northbound.
A rock slide and coal-train derailment near Granby, Colo., is forcing the detour of the California Zephyr through Wyoming today.
The New Jersey Transit board, at a May 12 meeting, was expected to approve the first phase of a $45-million project to expand and improve the NJT/Amtrak station at Trenton.
Projects that are part of the Access to the Region's Core (ARC), should be pursued, New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey said recently. Central to that, the governor said, is construction of a third tunnel, possibly with two tracks, under the Hudson for intercity and commuter trains. According to the Associated Press, McGreevey pointed out that New Jersey Transit's ridership is expected to double (at rush hour) by 2015. He added that New York officials should show more interest in the tunnel than they have. "Our argument is that ARC is critical for both states," he said.
The Transit Authority of River City, in Louisville, Ky., announced this week that it considers a light-rail proposal that has been studied since 1996 to now be dead. The Federal Transit Administration, which, under the Bush Administration, has strongly promoted bus over rail, has held up approval of an environmental impact statement because of lack of a local or state funding commitment. Major highway projects in the Louisville area, however, are proceeding.
Rep. Anne Northup (R.-Ky.), who is a member of the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, a promoter of highway expansion, and an opponent of Amtrak and most rail transit, was quoted in the May 13 Louisville Journal-Courier as saying that light rail makes sense in large cities such as Boston or Washington. Washington, however, does not have light rail service.
Whether Louisville is too small for light rail is debatable. There are places smaller than Louisville that have studied light rail or streetcar service. One, Tacoma, already has a streetcar (and commuter-rail) line, but is part of a larger metropolitan area. Little Rock, also smaller than Louisville, will have a limited streetcar service later this year. In any event, even in smaller cities, light rail proposals that connect enough of the right sorts of features ought to be studied. Louisville's line was planned to connect places such as the airport, Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, the University of Louisville, and downtown. Louisville's future citizens may well find one day that putting all their transportation eggs in one basket wasn't smart, if money for maintaining an expanded road system becomes scarce and gas prices continue to rise.
In Austin, Capital Metro released a long-range transit plan on May 11, called "All Systems Go!" The plan, though unfunded, includes a northwest commuter rail line between Leander and Austin and a northeast-southwest commuter rail line from Georgetown to Austin and San Marcos. Other bus improvements are envisioned, including a southeast express route to the airport. Capital Metro plans to flesh out the details of the proposal later in the summer.
Union Pacific will meet with shippers in San Francisco on May 17, according to the Associated Press, to discuss growing congestion and delay problems. The meeting comes at the request of the National Industrial Transportation League, which represents 600 shippers. Also at the meeting will be the chairman of the Surface Transportation Board, Roger Nober. AP pointed out that UP recently canceled a cross-country UPS contract because it was "taking too many resources from the rest of the railroad." The Houston Chronicle (May 13) wrote that "the backup conjures up images of what occurred in 1997-98 following the merger of Southern Pacific and Union Pacific, when Houston was the center of a massive near-gridlock of rail service." UP cites a shortage of train crews and increasing freight volume.
Thanks to the work of Senator Tom Carper (D.-Del.) and others, there is $1 billion in federal tax credits for rail investment in "must-pass" legislation. S.1637, the "Jumpstart Our Business Strength Act," is a 1,000-page tax bill also known as the FSC/ETI bill (foreign sales corporation/extraterritorial income). Passage of the overall bill is a top priority for Congress and the business community because the bill should end penalties U.S. corporations now suffer in the wake of a World Trade Organization ruling against the U.S. If the House bill, now being prepared by the House Ways and Means Committee, does not include these rail provisions, then the Senate rail provisions will need to be preserved in the House-Senate conference committee on these bills if the rail provisions are to become law. This will be difficult, so please ask your Senators and Representative to work hard to get the conference to include the Senate-passed rail provisions.
Two rail-related sections provide federal tax credits over fiscal years 2005-2007. Section 636 has $495 million ($165 million per year) in federal tax credits meant to benefit passenger-rail capital projects. States can transfer the credits to other entities (that have federal tax liabilities) up to an amount equivalent to 50% of the cost of a project. Projects must be part of a state rail plan to qualify. This section also makes $200 million in tax credits available to New York (city and state) to be used on rail infrastructure projects in the New York Liberty Zone. Section 635 provides $500 million over the same years to short line and regional railroads for track maintenance.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) yesterday announced a set of new Security Directives to rail transit operators (including commuter rail and Amtrak), effective May 23. "These protective measures, along with others already in place, advance our mission to ensure rail passengers are protected," said Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security at the TSA's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The American Public Transportation Association told its members, "Indications are that these directives are mandated without any additional and direct funding for transit systems."
Rail operators today are awaiting a more detailed version of the directives so they can see what they have to do to comply. Many operators already comply with some or most of the directives. The directives are:
The TSA's 30-day test of passenger and baggage screening at the Amtrak/MARC station at New Carrollton, Md., will end next week. The focus at New Carrollton has been explosives detection, whereas metal detection (not considered at New Carrollton) is much more important at airports. TSA is considering testing other equipment at other rail locations.
ABC News reported this morning that the New Jersey Attorney General's office is investigating suspicious, systematic filming of trains and rail lines on the Amtrak-owned segment of the Northeast Corridor between New York and Philadelphia. It also reported that the FBI is investigating the discovery of an infrared device found in the ballast on a SEPTA commuter line. There was concern that the device could be used to trigger a bomb, but a wire story today said the device was in a SEPTA yard and turned out to be a motion detector.
Two Acela trains bound for Washington were stopped yesterday evening and searched for explosives, after someone phoned a warning to officials. One was stopped just north of Philadelphia, the other near BWI Airport station. Both trains were delayed 40 minutes and then allowed to continue.
Amtrak has created a new position, security vice president, which will be filled starting June 7 by James F. McDonnell, who comes from the Office of Infrastructure Protection in the Department of Homeland Security. He will report to Senior Vice President of Operations William Crosbie. All areas of Amtrak security, including the Amtrak Police, will fall under the new position. "Protecting our passengers, employees and our own assets requires a comprehensive and far-reaching plan, executed at the direction of a leader with vast experience doing just that," President David Gunn said.
Senate leaders have reached agreement on allowing conferees to begin work to reconcile the TEA-21 renewal (surface transportation) bills passed February 12 in the Senate (S.1072) and April 2 in the House (H.R.3550). We hope that the several sections involving rail in the Senate bill, including Amtrak reauthorization, will be retained in conference. However, both bills surpass funding levels supported by President Bush, who has threatened to veto either version.
Against the backdrop of TEA-21 renewal, the New York Times on May 20 published a column by author Virginia Postrel entitled, "Does Highway Spending Really Pay Off?" She cites a March article in the Journal of Urban Economics that was written by two economists -- Chad Shirley of the RAND Corporation and Clifford Winston of the Brookings Institution -- which reports that overall rate of return (adjusted for inflation) plummeted from over 15% in the 1970's to less than 5% in the 1980's and 1990's, even as highway spending increased. Winston said the research "consistently found very poor performance -- lots of inefficiencies. The stuff is mispriced. The stuff is improperly built. There's a huge amount of waste." A draft paper to be co-authored by Winston says "one dollar of annual highway spending reduces the annual congestion costs to road users by only 8 cents."
"Airline Bailout Fails to Do the Job, Some Experts Contend," was the headline of a New York Times article from May 14 about the federal assistance given to airlines after the 2001 terrorist attacks. "Instead of tiding otherwise sound airlines over until depressed air traffic could pick up again," the article said, "the program has been used in part as a life-support system for weak airlines that were struggling before Sept. 11 and are still struggling." The article cites the example of United Airlines, which has been in bankruptcy protection since December 2002 -- after its first application for $1.8 billion in federal loan guarantees was rejected -- and which now has a new application for $1.6 billion in loan guarantees.
The California Senate unanimously approved a bill, SB1169, to delay the high-speed rail bond initiative for two years, until 2006. A similar bill, AB2865, delaying the initiative to 2008, was approved by the Assembly Transportation Committee on April 12, and is supported by Governor Schwarzenegger. AB2865 was rejected by the full Assembly yesterday, on a vote of 28-35 (it needed two-thirds to pass). There is some concern that a delay of four years could cause ongoing environmental studies to be outdated.
Amtrak closed its San Bernardino ticket office on May 14, possibly through June 30. The historic station is being renovated to serve (mostly) as a new headquarters for the San Bernardino Associated Governments. Amtrak was using a trailer, in the meantime, and it has been removed. The government agency and Amtrak are in talks about Amtrak's space in the station, which will have a rededication on June 12.
Obstacles to building a new Amtrak station at Sturtevant, Wis., appear to have been resolved, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (May 16). Legal and liability issues with track-owner Canadian Pacific have held up the project, particularly as they relate to building a pedestrian overpass. Work could begin on the new station, located in a village-owned industrial park north of the current location, in July.
The Amtrak office and waiting space in the recently renovated station at Tucson, Ariz., are now open.
A budget for fiscal 2005 for Georgia was signed into law on May 16. It includes $1 million for a planned Atlanta-Macon commuter-rail line. The Macon Telegraph (May 18) said this could allow the state DOT to start work on the first phase (Atlanta-Lovejoy) right away.
Amtrak is running a contest to find a photo for its 2005 wall calendar. By July 30, send in an 8x10-inch color photo of an Amtrak train that displays the current Amtrak logo (no digital images accepted). You may be an amateur or professional photographer. The winner also will get a $1,000 travel voucher. See Amtrak's web site for more about the contest, entry rules, and safety issues.
Capitol Limited service east of Pittsburgh was disrupted two days earlier this week because of two CSX derailments.
Oregon's Lewis and Clark Explorer Train (Portland-Astoria) begins its 2004 season on May 28, running Friday-Monday through September 13. As was the case last year, the train will run from the Linnton section of northwest Portland with a shuttle available from Union Station. Tickets may be purchased through Amtrak.
This is a good time to remind your legislators of your strong support for full funding for Amtrak, particularly as high gas prices underline the need for the choice to travel by rail. The Democratic letter in support of Amtrak's $1.8 billion 2005 appropriations request was sent May 24 with 179 signatures. The letter was addressed to Reps. David Obey (Wis.) and John Olver (Mass.), ranking members of the full appropriations committee and the relevant subcommittee, respectively. We expect to post the full list of signers on our web site soon. The counterpart Republican letter was sent May 14.
A 50 cent a gallon gasoline tax increase was advocated in two New York Times columns. Gregg Easterbrook on May 25 listed benefits of such a tax and said it could be revenue-neutral if offset by cuts in income and payroll taxes "of the poor and lower middle class." He said N. Gregory Mankiw, who now chairs President Bush's Council of Economic Advisers, made such a proposal in 1999. Mankiw at that time wrote, "Cutting income taxes while increasing gasoline taxes would lead to more rapid economic growth, less traffic congestion, safer roads, and reduced risk of global warming."
Yesterday, columnist Thomas Friedman argued that a serious effort to avoid another "9/11" would include "a 50-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax, the Patriot Tax (along with ... free public parking anywhere in America for any hybrid or other car getting more than 35 mpg)." Friedman said, "There is simply no way to stimulate a process of economic and political reform in the Arab-Muslim world without radically reducing their revenues from oil," which would cause governments there "to produce real jobs for their people ... Had we imposed a Patriot Tax a year ago, gasoline might still cost $2 a gallon today, but 50 cents of that would have gone to paying for American schools rather than Saudi madrassas [schools]."
Budget uncertainties in Illinois may threaten state-supported trains in that state, according to a recent Copley News Service wire story. Illinois DOT is requesting $12.1 million in state funding for the year starting July 1, 2004, but Amtrak has said its costs have risen to $12.5 million. At the same time, there is speculation that the legislature may approve only $10.9 million, and that an initial target would be Illinois' share of state funding for the Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha service. Wisconsin also contributes to that service.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority transit police say they will begin stopping passengers for identification checks, according to the Boston Globe (May 22). The checks are unprecedented for users of commuter rail, light rail, and subway services, though Amtrak has required passengers buying tickets in most circumstances to show identification. The Transportation Security Administration's new Security Directives to rail transit operators, which took effect May 23, do not expressly direct such identification checks.
MotivePower, Inc., a subsidiary of Wabtech Corporation of Wilmerding, Pa., announced on May 26 an order from Amtrak for 10 switch engines, to be delivered later this year. The locomotives are of the MP15B model, cost a total of $12 million, are rated at 1,500 horsepower, meet EPA Tier 1 emissions standards, and will have a low-clearance cab to accommodate tunnels in the New York City area.
Bombardier has announced it will close its rail car assembly plant at Barre, Vt., for good. The plant has been idle since November 2002, when it shipped out the final Acela Express train set. Other Amtrak orders since the plant opened in 1981 included the Superliner II's (1993-1996) and Horizon cars (1989-1990). The plant also built many commuter and rapid transit cars.
Amtrak has been rethinking its role in the Farley Building project in Manhattan, according to today's New York Times. Amtrak recently has clarified that it expects to pay no rent in the new space across Eighth Avenue from Penn Station, and that it would divide its ticketing and waiting spaces between the two buildings. The plan for the last 12 years has been for Amtrak to move to Farley altogether.
The California Assembly on May 26 approved a bill to delay the high-speed rail bond initiative for two years, until 2006. The bill, AB2865, had called for a four-year delay, but was rejected by the Assembly on May 20. The bill's sponsor amended it to two years and it then passed on a 64-2 vote. The bill goes to the Senate, where a similar bill, SB1169, was approved on May 19. There was concern that a four-year delay would jeopardize the project, but general agreement that this is the wrong year for the ballot initiative because of the state’s fiscal problems.
A shuttle bus will run from the Amtrak station at Oceanside, Cal., to Legoland daily from May 29 through September 6. Through-ticketing is available from morning southbound Pacific Surfliners 564 and 566 and northbound trains 785, 589, and 587. Amtrak passengers may also book admission to the amusement park along with the train and shuttle tickets (the "Legoland Sightseer" package).
Rep. Charles Bass (R.-N.H.) attacked his state's DOT for neglecting the plan to bring commuter rail to Nashua, according to a May 24 Nashua Telegraph story. "Bass, usually an ally of the project, said he would not protect $4.1 million in federal funds set to lapse in the fall for the rail project linking Nashua and Lowell, Mass." He wrote to the DOT that a "good cause has yet to be presented for the state's delay and lack of support" of the project. According to the Telegraph, Transportation Commissioner Carol Murray "said her support for the project has never wavered ... efforts have been quietly underway." She plans to write a response to Bass.
Though last week we wrote that "obstacles to building a new Amtrak station at Sturtevant, Wis., appear to have been resolved," the Sturtevant Village Board last week voted 6-1 to delay the project. Village officials will try to resolve some items in the proposed agreement with Canadian Pacific that the board members opposed. The new station is to be built on village-owned land in an industrial park that the village has been developing north of the current site, but with platforms and pedestrian overpass on CP property.
Port Authority Transit in Pittsburgh will dedicate its rebuilt Overbrook light-rail line on June 2 (at 10:00 am), with revenue service starting June 3. The 5.2-mile segment of former streetcar line was closed in 1993. The track and wires were thoroughly modernized. By fall, those features, along with new and rebuilt light-rail vehicles and an expanded control center, will result in more capacity and faster trip times on the entire Pittsburgh T system.
With the reopening comes a shift in routes -- the current 42S (via Beechview to South Hills Village) remains, but the current 42L (via Beechview to Library becomes the 47L (via Overbrook to Library). Another realignment comes in the fall, when the 42S becomes the 47S (via Overbrook to South Hills Village) and a new 42C (via Beechview to Overbrook Jct., with connections to the 47L and 47S) is added.
The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce has contributed $250,000 to a pro-transit ballot campaign. The campaign supports FasTracks, a proposal by the Regional Transportation District to invest $4.7 billion to expand the area's bus and rail network. It includes extending existing light-rail lines and building six new rail lines. To pay for that, voters will be asked in November to increase the RTD sales tax from 0.6% to 1.0%.
Amtrak and Illinois DOT have teamed up to help teach geography to children in public and private schools across that state. The program, called "American Journeys: Learn About Illinois," was developed by Scholastic Marketing Partners. It includes customized lessons on geography, language arts, science, and math, using Amtrak routes and services. Students also get a four-color, two page flyer containing a Kids Ride Free coupon and in-home activities. There is also an essay contest for fourth-graders, who were asked to describe an imaginary trip on the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.